Three Drinks and a Gun
by DJ Frost
Summary: Charlie finds out that Monroe wants to bring the Republic back and she is not happy.


A/N: Just a little something that was rattling around in my head earlier. There is no Charloe. I do not pair Charloe, but I will pair Charlie/Connor. I'm just waiting for that! Hope you enjoy! Please forgive the spelling.

They had just returned to the safe house after taking down another Patriot convoy outside Willoughby. It had been two weeks since they returned from Mexico with Monroe's son in tow. Monroe still couldn't believe it. He had a son. Who was alive and here with him right now.

Monroe had made some progress with Connor. They would talk some, about his mom, the Republic, and Connor would participate when he and Miles would discuss the game plan on how to deal with the Patriots but he could tell that the kid was still a little resentful. He couldn't really blame him but he knew guys like Nunez. Somewhere along the line Connor would have screwed up anyway. At least this way they had been there to get him out.

After dealing with the Patriot outbreak Monroe had talked to Miles about working to bring the Republic back. He needed something to give to his son and, despite what he told Connor, he didn't want to do it without Miles, he couldn't. It was Miles' Republic just as much as his. Hell, it was Charlie's legacy just as much as Connors. He almost laughed when he thought of the kids first impressions of each other. Connor tried to flirt with her but ended up saying the wrong thing, kid had been around whores to long, and Charlie threatened to carve his eyes out. It went downhill from there. Miles and he had made a silent agreement not leave the kids alone together for a while.

Miles had been pissed when he first brought up the idea of bringing the Republic back. But, slowly, Bass had brought him around and he reluctantly agreed. Anything was better than these government clowns, he said.

"Just, don't tell Charlie right now, okay?" Miles asked. "I'm not sure involving her would be a good idea."

"Miles, she's your niece, practically your daughter, the Republic's just as much her's as it is Connors."

"You don't get it, Bass. You didn't see her when she first came to me." Miles finished off his drink and poured them both some more. "She was a sweet kid. A pain in the ass but she had life to her you know, innocence. We took that away from her. I turned my brother's only daughter into a younger version of me. How could I do that?"

Monroe watched him as Miles finished off another drink.

"She's still a good kid, Miles and she's strong. Every inch a Matheson."

"That's what I'm worried about. If we do this we gotta do it differently. We can't be those guys again." Miles looked straight as Monroe, "We have to be better for our family's."

Monroe knew Miles was right. Things had gotten way out of control last time. He didn't want to be another Nunez to Connor and Miles had been right, they were both responsible for Charlie changing from innocent kid to warrior bad-ass. Though, really, he couldn't picture a Matheson any other way.

"Bass!"

"Yeah," Monroe pulled himself out of his musings and looked over at Miles who had as irritated look on his face. "What?"

Miles rolled his eyes. "I said, I'm gonna take Rachel and her Dad to check out a new safe house. We've been here way too long. I need you and Connor and Charlie to pack things up, make sure we don't leave anything behind."

"Sure thing."

Miles turned to Charlie, she didn't look to happy about the arrangement but didn't argue. The three got on their horses and rode off.

"Well, kiddies you heard the man. Let's pack up." Connor and Charlie rolled their eyes. My gosh they were made for each other; they just didn't see it yet. Monroe didn't know about Miles but the thought of their son and niece getting together kinda appealed to him. Monroe and Matheson, the next generation. Hell, those kids could rule the whole country.

Monroe was packing things up in the kitchen when he heard someone come up behind him.

"Hey, why don't you pack up the food," he said, not turning around. "We're gonna need everything we can get. Who knows the next time we'll be able to go on a food raid."

There was no response. Monroe didn't think anything of it. That is until he heard a familiar click. He slowly turned around. Standing just inside the kitchen pointing a gun at him was Charlie.

"Charlie," he said, raising his hands. "What are you doing?" Her face was emotionless but he could just barely see a cold fury boiling underneath.

She didn't say anything. Monroe could hear Connor working in the other room but he didn't call out. Monroe wasn't sure what was going on but as long as Charlie held a gun he hoped that the boy stayed in the other room.

"Was it all crap?"

"Excuse me?" Monroe had an idea what she meant but he hoped he was wrong.

"All that stuff about make up for everything you did, to my family, that was all a lie, wasn't it?"

"No, I meant every word."

"I heard Miles and my mom talking. You're trying to bring back the Militia," she yelled. "The Republic!" The gun shook in her hand. This was the first time since Monroe started traveling with her that she seemed to lose some of that control. He could see what his friend has meant earlier. She looked more like Miles now than ever.

"What the hell is going on?" Connor had finally joined them and, after seeing Charlie, produced his own gun and pointed it at her. But she didn't flinch, didn't even acknowledge him.

"Whoa, whoa! Everyone calm down," Monroe didn't know what to do. The others had just left so there was no help on that front. He just hoped his son would stay cool as he tried to talk Charlie down. "Charlie, please, just listen to me."

"You gonna tell me it's not true? That you don't plan to start the Republic again?"

Connor gave him a confused look. He had been there when Miles agreed to help but he still didn't know Charlie's bad history with them. He took a deep breath. "I can't."

She raised her gun just a little higher.

"Charlie, wait, wait! Just let me explain." He was getting nervous now. Connor was confused and Charlie was pissed. Man, he wished Miles was here. "Charlie, I promise, it will be different this time."

"Oh yeah?" she scoffed, "How?"

"Look, can we just put the guns down. I got a nice bottle here of something, let's have a drink and talk. Okay?"

The silence seemed to stretch forever but finally Charlie lowered her gun. Monroe let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Charlie pulled out a chair and sat down, setting her gun on the table in front of her. Connor followed suit a moment later.

Monroe pulled out three glasses and sat down, pouring them all a drink.

"So talk," Charlie said, getting straight to the point.

"Look Charlie, I know how you feel about me and the Republic but I swear to you, this time will be different, it will be better."

"Hold on a sec," Connor said, "I'm confused."

"Shocker," Charlie muttered. Both Monroe men glared at her but she didn't back down.

"I thought," Connor continued, "That Miles helped build the Republic the first time as well. He was a General, you're his niece, why are you so against it coming back?"

Charlie glared at him. "Because of the Militia I thought my mom was dead for 8 years. My father and brother are dead because of the Militia. I became—" her voice broke. "I became a killer, trying to protect my family from that damn Republic. I won't replace one tyrant with another."

Connor looked shocked. Monroe and his son had been trying to deal with getting to know one another that the history between the rest of the group had taken a back seat. Monroe had liked it that way. The kid didn't trust him that much to begin with, he didn't want to tell him of all his other failings as well. But he knew it couldn't have stayed hidden for long.

"Last time—" he paused, getting his thoughts together. "Last time, Miles and I were both a little unhinged I admit that. We were just trying to survive, to create some order after the blackout. Things just started getting out of control. And then Miles left and everything just got worse. I never meant for your dad to die, we used to be friends. And you don't know how much I regret what happened to Danny." He took a deep breath. "We know where we went wrong this time Charlie. We know what to do differently this time, Miles and me, we can make it better than it was before. And if you and Connor stand beside us you can help keep us grounded. Miles told me what you did to him last time he got out of control, that you basically led a mutiny against him, and if you keep that up then we got a chance."

When Miles had first told him what happened on the steam boat after they had stolen Doctor Camp from a Monroe facility he had been impressed. As highly as Charlie holds up Miles she was still willing to turn against him when she thought he went too far. Whether that meant Miles was going soft or Charlie was just that good of an influence he didn't know. But they kept each other sane, and that is something Monroe admired.

Charlie stared into her glass, thinking. Connor was watching her with curiosity, as if he could figure her out just by staring at her. Good luck, Monroe thought. Trying to read women was hard enough, but Matheson women: impossible.

"Why did Miles agree to help?" Charlie's voice was low, almost childlike. Something he had never heard from her before.

"He didn't want to, kid," Monroe confessed. "But he knows, like I do, that these Patriots need to be stopped. And when their out of the picture someone else will step up to take their place. It's the way of the world. We took control once before we can do it again. He probably thought, better us than some other creeps." Charlie laughed a little at that.

"Now that sounds like Miles."

"Trust me Charlie, neither of us want to be those guys again. And we can make that brand on your arm stand for something that you can be proud of."

Everyone looked at Charlie's wrist where the brand peeked out of her jacket. She pulled the sleeve down, uncomfortable with the attention. Finally she stood up.

"Fine, I'll help you and Miles start up your damned Republic." She grabbed her gun and tucked it away in her jeans. "But if I _ever_ see that General Monroe from before, you'll find my gun pointed at your head," she leaned forward. "And unlike Miles, I. Won't. Hesitate." She turned and walked out of the room.

Monroe and Connor sat in awkward silence, listening to Charlie stomp through the house, throwing things together. Finally Monroe looked over at his son and smiled.

"She's quite a pistol, isn't she?"

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Now please leave a review, because, hey, they're like candy =)


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